The journey of a samosa
Pushpesh Pant
According to food lore verified by historians, the good old samosa has travelled a very long distance to reach India. The savoury snack that doubles as desi fast food has been with us so long that not many of us are aware that it is an import from Central Asia. Samosa finds a mention in Ibn Batuta’s travelogues as an essential item on the menu served to Emperor Muhammad bin Tuglaq. As per references in Ain-e-Akbari and Akbarnama, Akbar relished it. Sambusak and sambosa are among its various names.
There are interesting regional variations that the original triangular pastry from Persia has spawned. The filling has changed from chicken mince and pine nuts to spicy boiled potato mash at times sprinkled with green peas. In Bengal, the samosa goes by the name of singhara and thinly sliced stir fried potatoes are more popular. It sometimes comes packed with cauliflower mince.
From tiny cocktail samosa to jumbo mutton mince filled options for a working lunch, the samosa comes in all sizes and shapes. There is the dainty potli samosa that resembles a small pouch and the lentil paste filled specialty from Hari’s at Lokenath in Allahabad that has a shelf life of many weeks. There are many other fillings to delight the jaded palate — from eggs, paneer, mushrooms to sea food. Chaat outlets serve it with a dollop of pindi chana and fine dining Indian eateries present it in bite-sized Hyderabadi lukhmi-like starters. And, if you have a sweet tooth, you can tickle it with mawa and dried fruit meetha samosa.
The urge to bite into a samosa was so strong during the lockdown one day that we went DIY. We were pleasantly surprised by the results and are emboldened to share the recipe with our readers. As we await the monsoon to pour and keep us indoors for a different reason, why not rediscover the joys of homemade sambusak! If potatoes still scare, try mushrooms and sprouts. Keep the envelop thin and drain all excess fat by placing them on kitchen towels. And stop at two!
Samosa
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour or whole wheat atta 1 cup
Filling:
- Potatoes (boiled, pealed and mashed) 2
- Peas (boiled lightly) 1/2 cup
- Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
- Black rock salt 1/4 tsp
- Amchur powder 1/2 tsp
- Green chillies (deseeded, chopped) 2
- Kasuri methi (crumbled) 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Method:
Sift the flour with salt in a tray and prepare semi-hard dough, like we make for puri. Roll out in discs of about 5-inches diameter. Cut into halves like a crescent with a sharp knife and keep aside. Prepare the filling by mixing all ingredients and blending well. Now carefully shape the crescents into cones and pack with the savoury filling. Seal the edges with moist fingers, pressing firmly. Repeat till all material is used up. Heat oil in a karahi till it reaches smoking point. Reduce heat to medium and deep fry the samosas in batches till they turn light golden brown. Turn once or twice with a slotted spoon to ensure that these are evenly cooked. Enjoy!
